Golden Knights extend qualifying offers to Roy, Hague, others

Trying to bring back some of the young RFAs.

The Vegas Golden Knights announced Monday afternoon that they’ve extended qualifying offers to six of their impending restricted free agents. Those players include Nicolas Hague, Keegan Kolesar, Jake Leschyshyn, Brayden Pachal, Jonas Rondbjerg and Nicolas Roy.

Roy is perhaps the most notable of the players to receive a qualifying offer. Roy, 25, put together the best season of his NHL career, logging 15 goals and 39 points in 78 games. The 6-foot-4, 205-pound forward has become a solid contributor as a middle-six center, and it’s possible he could play an even bigger role if he continues his upward trajectory. It should be noted that Roy is eligible for salary arbitration.

Kolesar, also eligible for arbitration, didn’t have the offensive outburst Roy put together in 2021-22. He only managed seven goals and 24 points in 77 games. Still, he’s turned out to be a staple for the Golden Knights as a checking line winger, and it wouldn’t at all be surprising if he were to return on a short-term deal.

Hague is not eligible for arbitration, but he’s turning out to be one of the more interesting stories of the Golden Knights’ offseason. On one hand, he’s a big, imposing defender who’s still just 23 years old. But with the Golden Knights in cap crunch, it may not be realistic for them to re-sign the 2017 second-round pick. It’s possible he could be moved in order to clear cap space, but if he and the Knights can find some middle ground, the team will be happy to keep him around.

Interestingly, forward Brett Howden did not receive a qualifying offer from the Golden Knights despite performing quite well in his 47 games in the lineup. According to NHL insider Darren Dreger, though, Howden and the Golden Knights could still finalize an agreement on a contract extension.